Washer assembly unit



I July 6, 1948.

R. S. DCJERR ET AL WASHER ASSEMBLY UNIT Filed March 1, 1945 PatentedJuly 6, 1948 WASHER ASSEMBLY UNIT Raymond S. Doerr and Keith Doerr,BattleUreek, Mich, assignors to H. B. Sherman Manufacturing 100., BattleGreek, Mich., acorporation of Michigan Application March 1, 1945,'SerialNo. 580,362

2 Claims.

This invention relates to faucets, bibbs, valves, or'the-like, and theprincipal object thereof is to provide a ball-bearing washer assemblyunit for ready installation on and removal from the stems of"thevalvesthereof, which unit may be readily and economicallymanufacturedand assembled, eliminating the likelihood of separation ofparts.

'The principal objects of the invention are to provide a novel ballbearing uni-t comprising a pair-of ball races, balls, and a housingcarried by one of said races and extending around and over the'otherrace and having its upper edge crimped over the top of said other raceto secure the bearing races together; the provision of a formed seatwasher retainer carried by the lower race and having means for retainingthe ball races togather; the provision of a seat washer screw in theunit attached only to the lower ball race; the provision of an upperball'race of inverted conica l shape so mounted in the valve stem thatthe line of bearing pressure will be directed toward the axis of theunit, effecting self-centering of the balls and the lower race, and theprovision of an upper .ball race of conicalshape engaging a conicalrecess in the end of the valve stem,

whereby the cone-shaped head of "the retaining.

nations of parts for which protection is desired.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinalsection through a faucet provided with my novelball-bearing washer assembly unit cooperating with the valve seat.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section through one form of ball-bearing washerassembly unit.

Fig. 3 is a section through a modified unit.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through a still further modified unit.

As shown, faucet A is of ordinary construction, having a wall B providedwith an opening C surrounded on its upper face with a valve seat Din theusual manner, the faucet having an internally threaded extension E intowhich the valve stem F is threaded, a suitable packing nut G surroundingthe stem, and. which stem carrying a handle H, whereby when the handleis rotated; the valve stem F will rise or fall with respect to valveseat D, stem F having an enlarged head F at "its lower end externallythreaded as at T In the modifications'hown in Fig. 2, the lower end ofstem F is provided with a circular recess in the stem; and the upper end*of race I: is

flanged inwardly as at E and provided 'with an axial opening 1 for thereception-of the retaining screw 2, the "head 'Z 0T which engages theunder side of the race 1. As screw '2 is seated the central portion ofrace is drawn -by the head? upwardly towards the inner end of recess Fthus forcingthe portion I into the stem recessand spring loading screw'2, thereby preventing loosening of the screw '2 during service, the'upper end of the central portion of race l being'slig'litl y' spacedfrom the inner endof recess F Preferably the upper race I is ofrelatively rigid material' but capable of' b'eing flexed under stress ofthe screw? to spring load the screw. The outer portion of upper race 1ilares 'outwardly under the stem F and has an annular circular groove iin its lower facespaced from its outer'1: "eriph= ery thereof for thereception of the balls 3.

The lower ball raced is disc shaped, having an axial extension 4* on itsupper "face provided with a threaded bore 4*, the corner formed by theupper face of therace "'4 and the outer wall o'fthe extension i having arounded fillet correspond:

ing with the curvature of the balls 3, as shown.

The outer periphery of the lower race l is provided with indentations 4for the purpose herei-na'fter described.

ing annular flange '5" formed by doublingthe metal of the disc back uponitself, as shown; the side walls of the housing extending upwardly alongthe sides of race 4, same having portions 5 pressed into theindentations 4 in the periphery 0f lower race as indicated inFig. 2',theupper edges of the side walls of the housing extending above theperiphery of the upper ball race I and being rolled or-peened, as at W,so as to overlie and substantially contact the upper faceof upper race Ibelow the headF the'peened' or rolled portion 5 'serving to lock theball races 4 and I "together while permitting rotation of" lower ballrace 4 with respect to the upper race I. Below the bottom plate 5 of theretainer housing is a rubber or fibre washer having a central opening 6;and a screw I passes through the openings [i -5 and is threaded into thetapped bore 4' of the lower ball race 4 terminating below the upper faceof race-4, the head of screw 'l seating squarely upon the lower face ofwasher 6 and being of less diameter than the valve seat D, as shown inFig. 1.

By the above construction, the seat washer retainer housing has wallportions bent to secure the lower race A to the upper race I, and thewasher 6 and housing are carried directly by the lower ball race 4, thescrew I having no engagement with the upper race i.

In assembling the unit shown in Fig. 2, the lower ball race 4 is droppedinto the retainer housing, which is initially preformed with straightside walls, then the balls 3 are dropped in upon the race 4; then theupper race I with the screw 2 inserted through the central holel isdropped in place in the housing; then the upper edges of the side wallsof the housing are rolled or peened over the top of the periphery of theupper race 2 to complete the unit. The lower ball race'4 is held fromrotation within the housing by means of the interlocking portions 5-4 inthe lower race and housing, so that the seat washer screw 1 can bescrewed into bore 4 while the housing is held against rotation.

The above construction provides a preformed ball seat washer retainercarried by the lower ball race and having clamping means for retainingthe ball races together, to prevent the balls from being dislodged andbecoming lost from the assembly. One of the chief troubles heretoforeexperienced in assembling ball-bearing washer unitswas, that in peeningthe end of the upper race into the lower race, unless same was preciselydone, the ball races would separate, permitting the balls to escape frombetween the races. However, with the type of construction shown in Fig.2, the cylindrical housing can be readily crimped over the upper race sothat there is practically no possibility of the unit to become so loosethat the balls can be lost from between the races or from the housing.

In Fig. 3 a modification is shown in which the lower end of the head Fof the stem F is provided with a conical recess F terminating in thetapped bore F, the walls of the recess F corresponding in angularity tothe conical head 8 of the screw 8, as shown. In this modification, theupper ball race 9 is likewise of general conical shape, and the centralportion 9 is conically formed and is adapted to be wedged in the conicalrecess F by the conical head 8 of screw 8, while the outer portionflares, outwardly over the lower end of head F and has an annularcircular groove 9 in its lower face for the reception of the balls 3.The retainer housing 5, lower race 4, washer 6, and the screw I areotherwise identical with the corresponding parts shown in Fig. 2, andare similarly lettered, and thus require no detailed description herein.

The method of assembly of the unit shown in Fig. 3 is also the same asabove described in connection with the unit shown in Fig. 2, the uppersides of the retainer housing being rolled or peened as at 5 over thetop of the upper ball race 9 to lock the races together. In thismodification, the lower ball race 4 may be provided on its upper facewith a circular annular recess for the reception of the balls 3 toreduce the overall height of the unit. However, if desired, the ballrace 4 in Fig. 3 may be formed identically the same as that in Fig. 2.Since the upper ball race 9 is of inverted conical shape, the line ofbearing pressure is directed toward the axis of the unit, with theresult that the lower race 4 will be self-centering.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4, the head F of the stem F isprovided only with a tapped bore F and the lower end of the stem issomewhat reduced in diameter, as at F. In this modification, the upperball race in is in the form of a relatively. thick disc of diametersomewhat larger than thelower reduced end F of stem F, as shown, andrace I is provided with a countersunk bore i Ill receiving the conicalhead ll of the screw H, which secures upper race It) directly to stem FThe lower face of the race I0 is provided with an annular circulargroove la for the reception of the balls l2.

In this modification (Fig. 4), the lower race also serves as the seatwasher retainer and the race clamping means or housing, and consists ofa body l3 of substantial thickness having an annular flange l3 extendingfrom its upper periphery, embracing the sides of upper race It), theupper edges of the flange l3 in the finished unit being rolled or peenedas at l3 over the upper face of upper race 10, to lock the lower race l3to the upper race while permitting rotation of the lower race thereon.In the upper face of body 13 within the flange I3 is an annular groove13 for the reception of the balls l2. At the lower end of race i3 is anannular depending flange 13 within which is seated the washer 6 retainedby the head 1 of the screw 1, which is threaded into the tapped bore 13of the lower race, as in the preceding modifications.

In this modification, Fig. 4, the lower race therefore serves not onlyas a washer seat but also as the retaining means for maintaining theraces l3 and 10 in proper assembly, whereby loss of the balls frombetween the races is efiectively prevented. The method of assembly ofthe parts shown in Fig. 4 is substantially the same as described inconnection with the preceding figures.

It is obvious that in each of the modifications when it is desired toremove or attach the unit with respect to the stem F it is merelynecessary to first remove the screw 1 and washer 6 in order that a screwdriver may be inserted through the central bore 4 or l3 of the lowerrace 4 or 13 and engaged with the slotted head of the screw 2, 8, or H,to rotate the latter into or out of position in the head F of the stem.Thereafter, the

.washer 6 and the screw 1 may be replaced in position shown on the lowerrace A, or I3. Thus the units are readily replaceable or removable fromthe stem, permitting quick servicing of the parts when and if necessary.

We do not limit our invention to the exact forms shown in the drawing,for obviously changes may be made therein within the scope of theclaims.

We claim:

l. A washer assembly unit, comprising an antifriction bearing having afirst race provided with a bore, and a second race carrying a washer, a-

housing on said second race embracing the first race for maintaining thesaid races in operative. relation while permitting rotation of thesecond race on the first race, said housing being formedintegrally withsaid second race and surrounding the first mentioned race and havinginturned,

5 upper edges closely overlying the first mentioned race.

2-. A washer assembly unit, comprising an antifriction bearing havingone race provided with a bore, and its other race carrying a washer, ahousing on one of said races embracing the other race for maintainingthe said races in operative relation while permitting rotation of thesecond race on the first race, said housing surrounding the firstmentioned race and having 10 inturned upper edges closely overlying thefirst mentioned race.

RAYMOND S. DOERR. KEITH DOERR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

